A Life Sentence: The Story of Tremane Wood and the 2002 Crime

Tremane Wood's life took a dramatic turn on November 13, 2023. Just moments before his scheduled execution, Oklahoma's governor changed his death sentence to life in prison without parole. This decision came after over two decades on death row for a crime that happened in 2002. Wood was convicted for the murder of Ronnie Wipf, a young migrant worker from Montana. Wipf and his coworker, Arnold Kleinsasser, were traveling to Texas for work when they met two women in Oklahoma City. These women were connected to Wood and his older brother, Zjaiton "Jake" Wood. The women lured Wipf and Kleinsasser to a motel room, where the Wood brothers allegedly attacked them. During the struggle, Wipf was fatally stabbed, while Kleinsasser managed to escape. Wood has always maintained that he did not commit the murder. He claimed his brother was the one who stabbed Wipf. Despite his claims, Wood was found guilty of first-degree murder and robbery, leading to his death sentence. His brother, Zjaiton, received a life sentence without parole and later died by suicide in 2019. The victim's family, members of a Hutterite colony in Montana, supported clemency for Wood. They expressed their grief but did not want Wood executed. They believed a life sentence was sufficient punishment. Wood's son, now an adult, felt relieved and joyous after learning his father's life had been spared. He described the last-minute decision as "mental torture" for both prisoners and their families. Wood's attorney praised the governor's decision, stating it honored the wishes of Wipf's family and the surviving victim. This commutation offers a measure of peace to those affected by the crime. Wood will now spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.